


Have You Seen My Cat?

by TheFunk



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Cat, Chatting & Messaging, First Meetings, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Pen Pals, Pre-Relationship, Shyness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23229445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFunk/pseuds/TheFunk
Summary: Jongdae was ready to Have A Sad when he saw the flyer with a picture of a cat on it at the bus stop. Happily, underneath “HAVE YOU SEEN MY CAT” was the caption “he’s great, right? He’s safe at home, I just want everybody to see him.” And thus Jongdae gained a pen pal, and maybe something more.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 37
Kudos: 112
Collections: SnowSpark Fest Round One





	Have You Seen My Cat?

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt No: 13

Jongdae sat on the bench with a groan. It was cold out and he shivered as he sat. He could see his breath every time he exhaled, and he had a death grip on the hot packs in his pockets. Baekhyun always told him he had baby hands, and the worst part about them was how quickly he got cold. His fingers were almost always frozen, ice-cold to the touch. He pushed his glasses higher up on his nose and shoved his hand back in his pocket as quickly as he could. 

An old woman sat on the bench beside him and he bowed to her, "Good morning Grandma Choi."

Grandma Choi smiled at him and patted the top of his head, "Good morning Jongdae. How are you feeling?"

"So much better, thank you Grandma. That soup was a lifesaver. Send my thanks to Grandma Han, when you see her today, will you?"

"Of course, sweetie, that's so good to hear," she said.

Jongdae had fallen ill the week before, and all the neighborhood grannies had come together to make him soups and other meals to help him get better. It had worked and after the weekend was over, he was as good as new. Grandma Choi patted him on the head one last time and then pulled her knitting from her bag. Jongdae hummed and swung his feet as he waited for the bus to arrive. He allowed his eyes to wander and waved at Grandpa Lee as he walked down the street opposite him. His eyes caught on a poster taped to the side of the covered awning.

It was a white piece of paper with a picture of a sweet brown cat on it. It had big, wide eyes that glimmered, even when in picture form. Jongdae felt his heart sink as he read the sign. ‘Have you seen my cat?’ It was January, and way too cold for a kitten to be lost in the world. He continued to read the poster. ‘He’s great, right? He’s safe at home, I just want everybody to see him.’ He let out a sigh of relief. He smiled at the picture of the cat who was as now realized, was not missing. The cat was adorable, and the sign said his name was Tan. He pulled his pen from his pocket and wrote on a blank spot at the top of the paper. ‘He’s super awesome!’

He giggled to himself as he pocketed his pen. The bus pulled up in front of him, so he stood and pulled his backpack higher onto his shoulder. He held a hand out and helped Grandma Choi up from the bench. He followed her up the stairs to the bus and took his seat in the back. As the bus pulled away, he watched the photo of that sweet little cat get smaller and smaller.

The next day, Jongdae made his way to the very same bus station, the air was still cold, and he still shivered in his coat, but now at least he had a scarf wrapped around his neck. It was a new scarf, and this was the first time he'd worn it. He always forgot it home even though his neck was always particularly sensitive to the cold. He had even forgotten it this morning, but had remembered it at the last minute, and turned around and got it. He was warm now, which was awesome, but he was also running late, which was not. He picked up the pace, shoving his hands deeper in his pockets. He could see the stop and the bus wasn't there yet, but it was only a matter of time before it appeared. He sank down on to the bench with a sigh of relief he had made it.

“Just in time sweetheart," Grandma Choi said, patting his knee.

“Yes," he smiled, "I just made it. Have you had a good day so far?”

"Just lovely, thank you Jongdae."

Jongdae smiled at her again. She patted his knee once more and he let his mind and eyes wander. His eyes caught the “missing” cat poster, just as he could hear the bus begin to pull up. He scrambled into his pockets for a pen. The owner had replied.

The poster read, “Thank you! His birthday is soon, he’s very excited.”

Jongdae grinned as he found an old purple gel pen in the small pocket of his backpack.

He wrote in an empty spot, “How old is he turning? Tell him happy birthday for me!”

He capped the pen just as the doors slid open. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped foot in the bus. He paid his fare and sat onto his seat with a sigh. He’d almost missed his bus writing on the paper. It was just so sweet, the love the owner had for their pet. He’d never had a pet, his mom had been allergic, and his current apartment didn’t allow pets. But he loved animals. His best friend had the cutest puppy, and his brothers his dogs of their own now too. His only experience with cats had been his old roommates’ cat, but Cat was sweet and loving, the little thing always cuddling to his chest whenever he lay on the couch.

But he didn’t see them that often anymore. His best friend was busy, his brothers had moved to different cities, and his old roommate had moved back to China. It was just him in his tiny little apartment. Which he didn’t mind at all. Jongdae wasn’t lonely at all. He had his friends at work and his neighbors were nice, and even the aunties and grandmas at the bus stop kept him company. He hummed as the bus drove down the road, watching the people on the sidewalk whizz by. He wondered if one of them could be the one he was writing too. Somewhere in the faceless crowds of Seoul was Tan’s owner. The thought made him smile.

A hand patted his leg, “Jongdae, sweetie, what’s got you so smiley this morning. You’re not usually like this,” Auntie Kim said.

Jongdae smiled at her and he could feel his cheeks heat up just the slightest bit, “Just in a good mood today.”

She patted his leg again and he looked out the window.

#

Jongdae hadn’t been late for his bus since that day, always showing up at least ten minutes early. It gave him just enough time to read whatever new note Tan’s owner left him, and to think of a good response. Two days after his late day, he learned the owner’s name: Minseok.

It was a nice name. Jongdae had said it aloud under his breath when he learned it, and he liked the way it sounded off his tongue, how natural it felt in his mouth. He tried to ignore Grandma Hwang and Auntie Lim giggling at him from their spots on the bench, his cheeks pinkening when he realized he was caught. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, it was a nice name, so sue him.

Over the course of four weeks, Jongdae felt as if he had gotten to know Minseok well. He learned that Minseok worked in advertising, and Jongdae told him about his job as a vocal coach at a large entertainment company. The man in his note had oohed and awed about it, asking if one day Jongdae would let him listen to him sing. Jongdae hated to admit it, but ever since that message, he had been mentally compiling a list of songs that he thought Minseok might like.

Every morning when he got to the bus stops, one of the women would call out to him, “Jongdae, sweetie, your cat boy wrote to you again!”

He would always blush as he sat down on the bench, and he hated the way his cheeks would tint. By now they’d had to turn over the paper and start writing on the back. That meant they had to be turning the paper around to see that Minseok had indeed left him another note. Some days they looked almost more excited than he felt. He could feel Auntie Lim peek over his shoulders to try and catch a glimpse of what he wrote. He didn’t know why he tried to hide it, they weren’t talking about anything bad. Except, they weren’t talking about Tan anymore, and sometimes the messages felt like they were for Jongdae’s eyes only, small vulnerabilities meant only for him. Like the time Minseok’s little cousin was coming to visit from Canada, and Minseok had worried that the boy, nearly nine years his junior, wouldn’t like him. Jongdae had been as encouraging as he could, reminding Minseok that Jongdae had managed to enjoy his presence, and they’d never even met yet.

It was the “yet” part of his statement that Jongdae had worried about as he wrote it. He wanted to meet Minseok. To put a face to a name and be able to have a conversation. But when Minseok had written back that his little cousin was a sweetheart and they got along great; he hadn’t even mentioned anything about them meeting. And it was fine. It was just that Minseok was sweet and encouraging, and actually kind of funny, and Jongdae desperately wanted to meet him. But it was fine. Yeah, totally fine.

And now today, he was late. Not just, running up to the bus as it came late, but the bus has already come and gone, late. Which was fine for his job, because the girl he was supposed to be working with that morning had fallen a bit ill and would be staying in her dorm, and they hadn’t rescheduled anyone in her time slot. So really, he was fine. Except he wasn’t. Because Jongdae didn’t know when Minseok went to the bus stop and wrote his notes, and Jongdae did _not_ want to miss it.

He hustled to the bus stop and when he finally got there, there was only one other person there. Jongdae hadn’t seen him before, so he paid him no mind. Instead, he went straight to the cat poster, pen in hand, flipping it over and his eyes raked the inked paper for anything new. His eyes had barely scratched the surface, but he thought he saw a new green ink in the mess of black, blue and purple.

“I haven’t written anything yet today, didn’t have anything to respond to,” a voice behind him said.

The voice was sweet and somewhat gentle, and it sent a tingle down Jongdae’s spine. Jongdae turned, finally taking in the form of the other man at the bus stop. He was around his own height and had the cutest cat-like eyes Jongdae had ever seen. He was smiling at Jongdae, but it looked mischievous as if he had a secret he was willing to tell to the right person.

“Minseok?” Jongdae asked.

The man grinned, “Hi Jongdae.”

Jongdae froze. So, this was Minseok. This man with the pretty eyes and the pretty voice and the pretty face, was Minseok. Minseok who he’d been talking to for weeks was sitting on the bench, right in front of him. And had said his name. And it had sounded so sweet escaping from his lips that Jongdae almost lost his breath.

“So, I didn’t bring Tannie with me, but I hope I’m okay,” Minseok said.

Jongdae shook his head, “No, you’re, you’re perfect.”

Minseok chuckled and Jongdae could feel the tomato red his skin had just turned.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Minseok said.

Flowers bloomed inside Jongdae’s chest at the name. Sure, the grannies and the aunties called him that all the time, but something about it coming from Minseok made him feel some type of way. Minseok patted the bench next to him and Jongdae almost collapsed next to him. He gathered himself. There was no way he was going to make a fool of himself in front of Minseok. It just wasn’t going to happen.

“What are you doing today?” Jongdae asked.

Minseok shrugged, “I have the day off, and I hadn’t really decided yet.”

“Would you like to come and hear me sing?”

Minseok smiled at him, this one less mischievous, this one lovely and bright, “I would love that.”

The bus pulled up then and they stood, getting on and going to the back of the bus. They sat close to one another. Minseok patted Jongdae’s leg and held it there, and Jongdae rested his head on Minseok’s shoulder, watching the faceless crowds of Seoul fly by.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you liked it by leaving me a kudos or a comment, I love feedback!


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